Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way
by VforVividly
Summary: When Raven signed up to infiltrate the front of Steel City's very own mob operation base, she didn't think she'd end up in this position.
When Raven signed up to infiltrate the front of Steel City's very own mob operation base, she didn't think she'd end up in this position.

With the music blasting and insane amounts of flashing lights, she felt as though she was in her own personal hell. Though she supposed it could be worse. Secretly, she was grateful for her archer back-up. When Robin asked her if she wanted to take on the assignment, she couldn't deny that a small part of her was hoping her and Roy would cross paths. After all, the Titan's East did have their base in Steel. Of course, she didn't think she'd have to dance with - or rather on - him all night.

Placing his hands on Raven's plump hips, Roy pushed her gently against the bar and spoke into her ear. "Six guards, all armed, not including the bartender who looks far too prepared and that beast of a man standing close to the bathroom." Playing the part of a lovesick girl, Raven giggled and blushed as if Roy had just given her the best compliment.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, she leaned to give the appearance she was whispering sweet nothings in his ear and corrected with a false grin on her face, "Ten guards. There's four more up in the hallway behind you."

Playing his part perfectly, he pretended to smirk, and pulled her closer, resting his forehead against hers. "Four guards upstairs? There's only one room and a little open space, why would they need four guards? Best bet for the office is up there."

Laughing freely, Raven nodded and began to pull him through the crowd towards the staircase. With his hand firmly on his lower back, the half-demon fruitlessly attempted to hold back her growing blush. Picking up the pace to evade her embarrassment, she almost barrelled into the arm of one of the security guards.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" She tittered believably.

"Sorry Miss, but this is a VIP section." The guard gruffed.

"Oh, Sorry! I understand. I was just looking for a quiet spot for my date and I." Roy could only look on with amazement as Raven, the quiet, bookish, admittedly sometimes creepy Raven, charmed the guard into letting them through. Once they made it out of the guard's sight, she amazed him once again, by planting her lips onto his. What he didn't realize until after was that she was pretending to stumble into the office using the excuse that they "just wanted to find a private space". No, all he could focus on was the fact that her lips - the lips he dreamed so often about - were currently pressed firmly against his. It came as a surprise to him, that he fantasized about the West Tower's resident Ice Queen, but he and Raven actually had a very strong friendship. A friendship he desperately hoped would turn into something more. But at the moment his mind had more important places to be than a relationship that would not, and _could_ _not_ happen.

Bursting through the door, Roy was a little confused as to why Raven had been kissing him like her life depended on it two seconds ago, to standing stiff as a board now. Opening his eyes, he quickly realized what she had done and watched as she began hacking into the system's mainframe from the office computer. Within the next two minutes he silently kept watch, until he started to hear footsteps outside the door.

"Raven!" He hissed.

"It's almost done, I just need 10 more seconds." She was biting her lip in concentration.

"We don't have 10 more seconds!" Just as a guard was beginning to slam open the door, Roy had Raven pressed against the desk, kissing her like they were in the middle of a heated makeout session.

"Hey! What are you doing here?! This is a restricted room." As the archer straightened up from their precarious position, he sheepishly explained that they hadn't been aware of their surroundings. Raven, on the other hand, discreetly removed the encryption USB from the flashdrive and wiped the computer clean of her tamperings with a few small keyboard taps.

"I guess we just got wrapped up." Plastering her best innocent smile, she started pulling Roy from the room. "Sorry! We'll be out of your hair now."

Attempting not to look like they were urgent to get the hell out of there, Roy shrugged his arm around Raven's shoulders, looking like they were a young in-love couple. Once they made it outside of the club, he felt some tension leave his body as he began to relax. "I think we made it," he whispered into her ear.

Unfortunately, luck was a bitch. Not a second after expressing that sentiment, a voice rang out, "Stop those two! They hacked the mainframe!"

"Fuck, how'd they know?!" Roy and Raven were forced to duck and run from the barrage of bullets that began raining down on them. Diving into the BMW, they scampered to pull out of the parking lot and onto the highway. Before they were clear, a shot rang out, clearer than the rest and a quiet, and an almost inaudible gasp from Raven. As if time had slowed, Roy look over from the driver's seat to see Raven gripping her shoulder only to see her hand pull away red. Their eyes met and time sped up again. Tires squealing, they pulled out from the garage and sped down the road.

"Raven! Raven, try to staunch the blood!" Roy barked out. He knew this was a bad idea, he knew it. Even though she look so beautiful in her tight black dress that hugged her curves, even though they hadn't dropped the facade one bit, she still got hurt. Gritting his teeth, he pressed down harder on the accelerator.

"Roy, it's fine. I'm fine-,"

"Don't you goddamn say you're fine until I can get your out of that fucking dress and patch your wound!"

Looking down at her blood stained dress, she couldn't help but joke, "Not how I imagined you telling me to get out of this dress." When all she received was a harsh glare, tinged with desperation she quickly closed her mouth. "Tough crowd tonight."

Screeching into the driveway of their safehouse, Roy made it out of the car, opened the door for Raven, and carried her inside within 20 seconds flat. "Someone's in a rush today. I didn't know you wanted me out of my clothes so badly, Roy."

Muttering murderously he quickly pulled off her dress, paying special attention to the bullet in her shoulder. The redhead grabbed the first aid kit, sat her down in the kitchen, and began removing the bullet and giving the half-demon stitches. Halfway through, the sedatives she took began greatly impacting Raven's inhibitions. Now that he was almost done with her stitches and she wasn't in danger's path, Roy felt his fear and anxiety begin to melt away.

"Roy. Can we get waffles?" Raven's eyes were bright and hopeful, like a little girl instead of the strong intelligent woman she was.

Smiling softly at how _cute_ she was acting, Roy finished tying the final stitch, "Of course we can, but let's get them tomorrow morning, alright?" He stood up and tried to avert his eyes from Raven's practically nude body, but he was Icarus to her sun and even though he would be burned, he couldn't tear his gaze away from her beautiful body. Then she stumbled a little bit and he chuckled. "You alright there? Need help walking?"

The half-demon shook her head vehemently. "Nope. I got this." Only to begin to tip forward without realizing. Right before she hit her head kitchen counter, he snatched her up and began to carry her upstairs. Raven nuzzled into his neck and Roy could feel his body become more tense. He swallowed as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders tightly, and jumped as her lips made contact with the underside of his jaw. God dammit, how far was this room?!

Practically kicking the door clean off, he gently placed Raven onto the bed before he took his leave. Or tried to take his leave. The sorceress has latched onto his hand and looked at him with lidded eyes and asked, "Please don't leave. Can you stay with me tonight?"

Clearing his suddenly blocked throat, he roughly replied, "I don't think that's such a good idea." He watched as she staggered to her feet, closing the gap between them.

"Why are you scared of me?" Her next questions shocked him a little, but mostly confused him. She thought he was scared of her? What?

"What? I'm not scared of you." He tried to reassure her, but Raven's face was quickly adopting a distressed air. "Raven, why would you think I'm scared of you?"

She shook her head, "Maybe scared is the wrong word... Why don't you like me?"

"Why would you think I don't like you?" Roy was incredulous. Had he done too good of a job at hiding his true feelings for the half-demon?

"You were so angry when they shot me, and every time I come near you, you get scared. I'm an empath, Roy. I can feel that you're frightened." Raven sighed and looked away.

"Raven." Her head didn't turn. "Raven, c'mon look at me." Her eyes peeked at him from under her long lashes. "I'm not scared of you. Trust me, you're reading it wrong."

"You can't lie to me, Harper. You can lie about your thoughts, but you can't lie to me about your feelings." He could physically see her receding into herself, withdrawing from the situation, from him. How could she not see that he thought he was in love with her, and that was what terrified him?

"Raven, believe me, you're getting the wrong idea. Please."

"Speedy, it's fine. I'm sorry I brought it up." That stung. She hadn't called him Speedy ever since they had become close friends. Or whatever they were.

"No, Rae. C'mon, please listen."

"I don't think I want to hear what you have to say anymore. You're obviously lying to me. I thought we were closer than that. I guess I read the situation wrong." She turned away from him.

"The only situation you're reading wrong is this one!" Desperation began to leak into his voice.

"Then pray tell, what am I supposed to be reading in this situation?!" Anger had begun to take over her body.

Roy looked at her with wide eyes. He couldn't confess, he wasn't ready. He didn't know if she liked him at all. "Just... I care about you Rae." The words wouldn't stop flowing from his mouth. "I'm scared because I don't want you to get hurt, and I don't want you to figure out- I mean I just don't want to lose you."

Raven scrutinized him heavily, her eyes piercing into his entire being. For someone who was almost naked, Raven could definitely make you feel like you were the vulnerable one. And then she shocked him for the third time that night. She reached towards him and pressed her lips against his once more. He was too shocked by the turn of events to reciprocate fast enough, so when the empath felt his unresponsiveness she quickly backed away and brought up her walls. "I see I have read the situation wrong. Please leave." The utter mortification and embarrassment she was feeling right now was bad, but the crumbling of her heart was so much worse.

"Raven..." She could feel him reaching towards her.

"Get out." Her wall of black energy began pushing him away before slamming the door closed. She looked at her room, now empty and bare and the remainder of her heart clenched before finally breaking away. Tears dripped down her face.

Standing outside, Roy's mental capacity had still not realized the full severity of what had just happened. Slowly it began to dawn on him. And then he pounded on her door. "Raven! Open your door!"

There was no response from the half-demon inside, for she was already curled up against the wall trying to conceal her sobs. She knew she was supposed to be strong, and indifferent, but Roy had made her understand what friendship and _love_ was like and she felt as though she had just lost that.

"Raven, if you don't open this door I'm going to break it down!" But the empath merely turned away. She didn't think he meant _literally_ break it down. Soon she was raising her hands as shards of wood rained across her floor. She barely got the first syllable of her curse word out before Roy grabbed the back of her head and planted his lips on hers. When they finally pulled away he noticed the wetness on her face. "I made you cry?" He whispered perturbedly. She looked away.

"Just a little. But it's okay. Everything's okay now."

Lifting her from the floor, he rested his forehead against hers once again. "I'm sorry babe."

Raising her eyebrow at the nickname she questioned. "Babe?"

With a grin that beat out Cyborg's on National Meat day, Roy laid her on the bed, "Yep. We're together now. If you want to I mean..."

Chuckling Raven pulled him next to her and closed the gap between them. "Of course I want to."

And for the last time of the night, Roy felt the tension leave his body, replaced with a warm fuzzy feeling. Wrapping his arms around Raven he kissed her forehead.

When she signed up to infiltrate the front of Steel City's very own mob operation base, Raven definitely didn't think she'd end up in this position. But she wouldn't have it any other way.

AN: Please review! Lemme know if I should continue this as drabbles or something.


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